board games we love.
We love a good board game around here. Especially as we enter into the cold months where it gets harder and harder to spend much time outside, board games are our go-to boredom busters and good-vibes makers. And unlike playing dolls or trucks, board games don’t make me want to gauge my eyes out. Did I just say that out loud? Ahem. Anyway, these are some of our favorites.
- Bird Bingo – First off, this game is kind of gorgeous from an adult perspective. The illustrations of the birds on the cards are super pretty, and all the pieces of this game are really high quality. The gist of the game is really simple- it’s just basic bingo. But kids LOVE basic bingo and this version helps them recognize lots of different birds pretty quickly.
- Pengoloo – My kids LOVE memory games, and Grace specifically is obsessed with penguins. This is one of those games that the kids actually beat me at, EVEN WHEN I’M TRYING really hard, which I kind of appreciate because I get sick of not really trying at board games with kids, ya know? The game is also made of wood, which is nice because it’s really durable and also pretty darn cute.
- Stone Soup – So this is one of those co-operative games, which means that technically there isn’t one winner; everyone plays as a team to try to fill up the pot before all the “fire out” cards are pulled and the game ends. It’s another memory game, but I love changing it up and having a game where we all work together.
- Go Fish– The classic. We could (and do) play this over and over. It’s great for 3-5 year olds because it works on number recognition, counting, memory, and logic. You don’t NEED this cute version to play Go-Fish, obviously, but it kind of DOES make it more fun.
- Candy Land – If I need to explain Candy Land to you and why it’s so appealing to kids, I’m frankly a little bit concerned that you’ve been living under a rock. It’s simple, it’s easy, there are pictures of candy. But for all it’s simplicity, it’s a great introduction to simple lessons like taking turns, following directions, and being a good sport whether you win or lose. And who doesn’t love when mom gets stuck in Licorice Lagoon? Eh? Eh?
- Zingo – If your kiddo is just starting to read, this game is really fun! When I started playing it with Joey, I had to help him quite a bit. But now that he’s catching on, I see it really helping him both with sight words and with being able to quickly identify sounds and create words. And there is a cool card-dispensing doohickey, so obviously that’ s big hit.
- Let’s Go Fishin – I had to throw this one in there, even though it’s not technically a board game. My kids LOVE this game. It’s just fun, and while I guess it kind of builds some fine motor skills, the main draw for me is that it keeps them busy forever.
What are some of your favorites board games? We always love to add to our collection and with Christmas coming up, I hope to put a few under the tree.
**All Amazon links are affiliate, which means if you click through and purchase something, I get a small commish at no cost to you.